Venezuela: Chavez wants to rule till 2021

Things are heating up on the re-election front in Venezuela.

The Venezuelan constitution currently limits a candidate’s presidency to two 6-year terms. President Hugo Chavez, whose second term is up in 4 years, is calling for an end to presidential term limits.

According to this article, President Hugo Chavez is again “giving his people the authorization” to move toward amending the constitution, though, he says, the people ultimately have the right to decide if they want the amendment.

This isn’t the first time Chavez has called for term amendments. Shortly after the beginning of his final term in January, 2007, he began talks of removing the limits. The referendum was ultimately defeated after 51% of voters rejected the proposed amendment.

But Chavez, now with his popular support standing at 55% one year later, is proposing the constitutional amendment again. And according to the Economist, “Chavez says the legislation will be the start of a new era of ‘maximum revolution’ during which he will consolidate Venezuela's transformation into a socialist society. His critics, however, are calling it a radical lurch toward authoritarianism by a leader with unchecked power.”

-- by Hannah Morris